


A Threat

by spowell Once and Future Series (SPowell)



Series: Once and Future [32]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, post canon au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-30
Updated: 2014-07-30
Packaged: 2018-02-11 02:06:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2049270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SPowell/pseuds/spowell%20Once%20and%20Future%20Series
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><3 to my readers!</p>
    </blockquote>





	A Threat

**Author's Note:**

> <3 to my readers!

“You’re shaking,” Merlin says, voice groggy with sleep. He pulls Arthur closer to him in the warm bed, and Arthur gratefully wraps his arms and legs around him, burying his face into Merlin’s neck.

“What’s wrong, Arthur?” Merlin sounds alarmed now. “Did something happen in class? What time is it?”

Merlin tries to nudge Arthur back so he can look at him, but Arthur won’t let him; he needs a few seconds of refuge to collect his thoughts. Davies left him that rattled.

Aithusa, ousted from the bed at Arthur’s arrival, begins tearing around the flat like a mad thing, in and out of rooms, chasing some unknown, invisible prey, flipping and skidding on the bare floors.

“The neighbors are going to hate us,” Merlin says, giving into Arthur’s persistence and simply holding him. He kisses Arthur’s shoulder. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”

Arthur finally pulls back, rolling Merlin onto his back and following so he’s on top looking down into Merlin’s concerned eyes.

“I can’t lose you. I won’t.” Arthur's bottom lip trembles, and he bites down on it.

“You aren’t going to lose me, clotpole.”

Arthur leans down, kissing Merlin none-too-gently, stealing the breath from his lungs and making him arch into Arthur’s embrace.

Arthur kisses Merlin until he stops asking questions, until the only sounds he makes are ones of pleasure and need. When Arthur raises Merlin’s ankles to rest upon Arthur’s shoulders, he waits a beat for Merlin to magically ready himself before plunging in, and then he’s lost in the feeling of being inside the man he loves.

Later, spent and sweating, all the bed covers pushed to the floor, Arthur draws circles on Merlin’s flat belly with his finger.

“Tell me now,” Merlin says.

Arthur does, and Merlin listens without interrupting. The energy in the room grows heavy, and several items on the dresser begin to rattle. Aithusa runs into the room and makes a dive under the bed.

“You’re scaring the baby,” Arthur turns his head to kiss Merlin’s ribs.

“That bastard,” Merlin says. “He knows.”

“How could he?” 

“Remember at his party we thought someone came in while we were talking…I’ll bet it was Brandon going out. I’ve wondered about that, especially the way he looks at me sometimes. What did we say that night? You'd just jousted.”

Arthur tries to remember back, but he can’t.

 It’s quiet a moment; Merlin is obviously thinking.

“About how I hated to watch you, before,” Merlin finally says, then groans.

“And he heard that. No telling how long he’d been there. And you said he called you 'm’lord'! I bet I called you that that night! Arthur, what does it mean?”

“It means he wants me out of your life so he can have you, I suspect,” Arthur says. “But Merlin, it really doesn’t matter what he knows, because no one will believe him. I told him that.”

“Something’s got you worried, though.” 

Something definitely has. Arthur sighs and rolls over to his back. “It’s his attitude. He seems so sure of himself—more than just someone who suspects something crazy. I don’t know.”

“Well, I’m through with him,” Merlin says.

Arthur looks over at Merlin. “And what will he do when you cut him out of your life? Not that that isn’t what I’ve wanted all along, but if he does have something up his sleeve…he could at least make things difficult for us.”

“Arthur, I can’t pretend to be friends with him after this!” Merlin sits up.

“Just for a little while, Merlin. Davies will think I didn’t tell you about our altercation. Perhaps I can get him to reveal more. Perhaps we’re wrong about exactly what he suspects. It is farfetched, after all.”

“It might be easier just to get rid of him,” Merlin looks away. “Although he has a sister with a family who would miss him. Perhaps an accident…”

“Merlin,” Arthur says, heart constricting in his chest, “you’re not a killer. Let’s leave that option as a last resort, shall we? We could always disappear before resorting to something like that.”

Merlin looks relieved and nods. He bends and grabs the sheet off the floor, pulling it up to wrap around them.

“The day you died in my arms, Arthur, I swore if I ever got you back, I’d never let you go again.” Merlin’s voice holds a determined edge. “I will keep that promise.”

Arthur kisses Merlin’s shoulder but doesn’t say anything. There isn’t anything to say.

As he drifts off to sleep, he feels the soft plop of Aithusa joining them on the bed.

***

The following day, Arthur is incensed to get a note written on expensive stationery from Dirk Wolff saying that he’s “sorry about the misunderstanding between them” and that he was “drunk and amorous” and would Arthur “be interested in appearing on an American talk show with a few others from the film to help demonstrate some of the sword fighting?”

“Fuck, but he has nerve!” Arthur paces about the flat, generally growling at everything.

“When is the talk show?” Merlin asks from the kitchen.

“What do you mean, when is the talk show? You aren’t thinking I’d actually accept?”

“Of course not. I’m only curious,” Merlin walks out in his pants eating a bacon buttie.

Arthur checks the letter. “Next month. New York City.”

Merlin looks over Arthur’s shoulder. “You’re right, he does have nerve. I suspect he’s used to getting his way.”

“Well, he’s not getting it this time.” Arthur crinkles up the paper and tosses it in the bin. “He should be scared to death after what happened with you.”

“Some people choose to ignore things that don’t go their way or that they can’t explain.”

Merlin wanders back into the bedroom to get dressed for work.

“I’m driving you to the shop this morning!” Arthur calls to him. Merlin pokes his head out the door.

“What? Why?”

“I just think I need to drive more. And it’s cold.”

Merlin frowns, but disappears back into the bedroom.

The drive to the shop is horrific, with Merlin not even trying to conceal the fact that he’s clutching the dash for dear life.

Arthur sweats through the ordeal, in spite of the fact that a cold wind blows through the open driver’s side window. Parking is a nightmare, and in the end, Merlin has to magic away a dent in another person’s car.

Once inside _Buy the Book_ , Arthur decides to stay for the morning to help unload a shipment from the afternoon previous.

It’s a light day customer-wise, and Merlin works on the month’s accounting.

It’s just after eleven when the bells on the door jangle and Arthur hears Brandon Davies’ familiar voice. Arthur automatically stiffens but stays where he is behind the shelves. Davies is definitely flirting with Merlin, and Arthur wants badly to go out there and smash the arse’s face in. Merlin is doing an admirable job of acting normal, although Davies does inquire once if something is wrong, to which Merlin answers that he’s merely tired. He doesn’t reveal Arthur’s presence in the back of the shop.

Then Davies says something that completely surprises Arthur.

“I’ve been seeing someone.”

“Really? That’s brilliant, Brandon,” Merlin says, and Arthur thinks he hears relief in Merlin’s voice.

“He works in the department of social security,” Davies says, and immediately the atmosphere changes.

“Does he?” Arthur detects the guarded quality to Merlin’s tone.

“Yes, such an interesting job,” Davies says.

“I wouldn’t think so.” 

“Ah, but it is.”

“Here’s that book you ordered,” Merlin says.

“Wonderful, Merlin, thank you. Are you going to be able to help me with my research?”

“I’m not sure; I’ve been terribly busy.”

“I’ll be lost if you don’t,” there’s a pouting quality to Davies' voice that sets Arthur’s teeth on edge, but he holds still.

“Give me a ring, and I’ll see what I can do,” Merlin says.

As soon as the bell chimes, Arthur is out from behind the shelves.

“What was that all about?”

Merlin appears uncomfortable. “An obvious threat.”

“What do you mean?”

“The boyfriend in the social security department. You don’t have a number, Arthur. I haven’t thought to fabricate one for you. It isn’t easy…it took me forever to get one for myself. I had to borrow one from someone deceased, change names and histories…it’s awful, but almost impossible to live in the city without one. If Brandon really does have a boyfriend in that department, he very well could have looked into you.”

Cold tendrils of trepidation wrap around Arthur’s heart. “The fucking bastard.”


End file.
